At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said, "I tell you, monks: It is for one who knows & sees that there is the ending of the effluents. For one who knows what & sees what is there the ending of the effluents? 'Such is form, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is feeling... Such is perception... Such are fabrications... Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its passing away.' It is for one who knows & sees in this way that there is the ending of the effluents.

"Even though this wish may occur to a monk who dwells without devoting himself to development — 'O that my mind might be released from effluents through lack of clinging!' — still his mind is not released from the effluents through lack of clinging. Why is that? From lack of developing, it should be said. Lack of developing what? The four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for Awakening, the noble eightfold path.

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or twelve eggs: If she doesn't cover them rightly, warm them rightly, or incubate them rightly, then even though this wish may occur to her — 'O that my chicks might break through the egg shells with their spiked claws or beaks and hatch out safely!' — still it is not possible that the chicks will break through the egg shells with their spiked claws or beaks and hatch out safely. Why is that? Because the hen has not covered them rightly, warmed them rightly, or incubated them rightly. In the same way, even though this wish may occur to a monk who dwells without devoting himself to development — 'O that my mind might be released from effluents through lack of clinging!' — still his mind is not released from the effluents through lack of clinging. Why is that? From lack of developing, it should be said. Lack of developing what? The four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for Awakening, the noble eightfold path.

"Even though this wish may not occur to a monk who dwells devoting himself to development — 'O that my mind might be released from effluents through lack of clinging!' — still his mind is released from the effluents through lack of clinging. Why is that? From developing, it should be said. Developing what? The four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for Awakening, the noble eightfold path.

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or twelve eggs that she covers rightly, warms rightly, & incubates rightly: Even though this wish may not occur to her — 'O that my chicks might break through the egg shells with their spiked claws or beaks and hatch out safely!' — still it is possible that the chicks will break through the egg shells with their spiked claws or beaks and hatch out safely. Why is that? Because the hen has covered them, warmed them, & incubated them rightly. In the same way, even though this wish may not occur to a monk who dwells devoting himself to development — 'O that my mind might be released from effluents through lack of clinging!' — still his mind is released from the effluents through lack of clinging. Why is that? From developing, it should be said. Developing what? The four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for Awakening, the noble eightfold path.

"Just as when a carpenter or carpenter's apprentice sees the marks of his fingers or thumb on the handle of his adze but does not know, 'Today my adze handle wore down this much, or yesterday it wore down that much, or the day before yesterday it wore down this much,' still he knows it is worn through when it is worn through. In the same way, when a monk dwells devoting himself to development, he does not know, 'Today my effluents wore down this much, or yesterday they wore down that much, or the day before yesterday they wore down this much,' still he knows they are worn through when they are worn through.

"Just as when an ocean-going ship, rigged with masts & stays, after six months on the water, is left on shore for the winter: Its stays, weathered by the heat & wind, moistened by the clouds of the rainy season, easily wither & rot away. In the same way, when a monk dwells devoting himself to development, his fetters easily wither & rot away."

"Just as a carpenter or a carpenter's assistant sees on his adze-handle the marks made by his fingers and thumb, but does not thereby have the knowledge. 'So much of the adze-handle was worn away by me today, so much yesterday, so much at another time,' but merely has the knowledge that it is being worn away by its wearing away.

"In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu living devoted to the practice of mind-development (bhaavanaa) does not have the knowledge, 'So much of the taints (aasavaa) was worn away today, so much yesterday, so much at another time.' But he has the knowledge they are being worn away by their wearing away.

"Just as a sea-going boat, stranded for six months on the shore by the tide in the winter, has its rigging spoilt by wind and sun, and then, warped by a shower of rain in the rainy season, easily weakens and rots away: in the same way, bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu living devoted to the practice of mind-development, the fetters (samyojanaani) easily weaken and rot away."

BB: Again, these are the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. The theme of this sutta might be compared with MN 126 http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html which deals with the question whether, in living the holy life, it is necessary to make a wish in forder to achieve the fruit. Here the word rendered "wish" is iccha.

"Suppose, Bhikkhus, there was a hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs ..."

BB: the simile of the chicks is applied differently at MN 53: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.053.than.html. See also Vin III 3-5. Spk elaborates on the comparison of the bhikkhu's enlightenment to the hatching of chicks: The hen's preparatory work is like the bhikkhu's devotion to development. The nonrotting of the eggs is like the bhikkhu's not falling away from insight knowledge; the drying up of the moisture in the eggs is like the drying up of attachment to the three realms of existence; the thinning of the egg shells is like the thinning of ignorance; the maturation of the chicks is like the maturation of insight knowledge. The time when the chicks break the shells and emerge safely is like the time when the bhikkhu breaks the shell of ignorance and attains arahantship. And as the chicks go about adorning the village field, so the great arahant enters into fruition attainment which takes Nibbana as its object, and thus adorns his monastery.

"Suppose bhikkhus, there was a seafaring ship bound with rigging that had been worn away in the water for six months...." BB: This simile is also at 45:158.

Spk develops this simile even more minutely than the simle of the chicks. In brief: Like the wearing away of the rigging by the ocean water is the wearing away of the bhikkhu's fetters by his going forth (into homelessness), study and questioning. Like the time the ship is hauled onto dry land is the time the bhikkhu takes up a meditation subject and dwells in the forest. Like the drying up of the rigging by wind and sun during the day is the drying up of craving by insight knowledge. Like hte wetting by snow at night is the wetting of the mind by gladness and joy arisen from meditation. Like the rain cloud pouring down is the knowledge of the path of arahantship. Like the decay of the rigging is the attainment of the fruit of arahantship. Like the persistence of the rigging in a decrepit state is the persistence of the arahant as he lives on benefitting the multitude. Like the collapse of the decrepit rigging is the arahant's attainment of the Nibbana element without residue.

Do you find the similes in this Sutta inspiring (because lack of obvious progress is normal) or daunting (because progress is so slow)?

Mike

Inspiring. I constantly find myself having to explain this to students, who come to learn vipassana meditation.They think that because they have been practising for 3 or 4 days and have not appeared to have made much progress, then they must be useless at meditation.Heck, I remember the disappointment I felt,when I sat in meditation at Bodhgaya and didn't attain enlightenment.I mean, it was where Buddha did it, different tree, but a close rellie,and I must have sat for at least 20 minutes.he he.By the way, I enjoy reading these study threads of yours.With metta,Phra Greg

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.Lost in timeLost in spaceAnd meaning

The Buddha explains that Awakening comes about not by wishful thinking, but only through deliberate effort.

So, it seems to me that this Awakening is oft perceived as coming through a gradualdeliberate effort? What about those with 'higher capacities'? Like how Upatissa (Sariputta) attained Sotapanna when he heard the Elder Assaji utter the famed stanza?

In the same way, when a monk dwells devoting himself to development, he does not know, 'Today my effluents wore down this much, or yesterday they wore down that much, or the day before yesterday they wore down this much,' still he knows they are worn through when they are worn through.In the same way, when a monk dwells devoting himself to development, his fetters easily wither & rot away.

I am looking at would there be a case of effort plus one's own capacities and not mere effort alone involved?

Bhikkhus, if you develop and make much this one thing, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction. What is it? It is recollecting the Enlightened One. If this single thing is recollected and made much, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction.Anguttara-Nikaya: Ekanipata: Ekadhammapali: PañhamavaggaBuddhanussatiSCVSMVMMBS